Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast has marked a major milestone in marine protection with the opening of the first Beach Cleaning and Volunteering Center in Playa Guacalillo, located in the canton of Garabito. Led by the environmental organization MareBlu, this initiative was created to directly address plastic pollution and solid waste washing onto the country’s shores.

Playa Guacalillo sits in an environmentally vulnerable area: the mouth of the Tárcoles River. Every day, this river carries tons of waste from the Greater Metropolitan Area straight out to the ocean.

With this new center, an operational ecological shield is now in place to intercept, sort, and process waste before it inflicts irreversible damage on marine wildlife and coastal ecosystems.

The center is much more than a waste collection site; it operates as a hub for the circular economy:

 * Recyclable plastics are sorted and reintroduced into industrial supply chains.

 * Hard-to-recycle materials, such as tires and textiles, are repurposed into asphalt mixes and construction materials through strategic partnerships.

 * Organic waste is turned into compost to support local reforestation projects.

 * In addition, the initiative provides direct employment to twelve local families.

Gerónimo Ciuti, director of MareBlu, emphasizes that the goal is to provide full traceability for waste reaching the ocean, transform it into useful raw material, and create genuine development opportunities for the community.

The complex features classrooms for environmental workshops, showers and restrooms for volunteer groups, a native plant nursery for coastal reforestation, a protected sea turtle hatchery, and a museum dedicated to raising awareness about plastic pollution.

This project was made possible through a joint effort between MareBlu, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), financial support from Auto Mercado customers, and contributions from various private companies.

Businesses, educational institutions, and individual volunteers can all participate in cleanup workdays and support the cause through MareBlu Costa Rica’s official platforms.

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